Combination golf club headcover and beverage cooler

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a combined beverage cooler and golf club cover for both covering the head of a golf club or for supporting a drink. The invention comprises a hollow foam cylinder connected to a hollow fabric sleeve. The present invention is configured to fit into a golf cart drink holder while supporting a beverage. The shaft protector extending from the club head cover is configured to fold into the head cover when the invention is being used as a beverage cooler.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit and priority from provisionalapplication No. 60/628,863, filed on Nov. 16, 2004, entitled, “ImprovedGolf Cover/Drink Cooler,” which is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept relates to a dual-purpose device,which can be used both as a protective cover for golf clubs and aninsulated beverage cooler.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Millions of people throughout the world play golf. Because golf istypically played in warmer weather, the prevention of dehydration andsunstroke is important. Therefore, the availability of cool beverages isalways a concern. Additionally, most golfers use golf club head coversto protect their woods from damage. The present invention is capable ofboth keeping beverages cool and protecting a golfer's woods from beingdamaged. There has been at least one patent directed to combination golfclub cover and drink cooler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,898, to Miller, has anissue date of Mar. 31, 1992. The patent is directed to a combinationgolf club cover and beverage insulator which comprises a unitary device.The outer cover has two sections, a first section which receives thegolf club head, and a second section which houses the insulating devicewhich receives the beverage. The insulator is a cylindrical sleeve openat both ends which allows the club to pass through the insulator to thefurthermost portion of the golf club cover. Once the cover is removed, abeverage can conveniently be placed within the insulator.

However, Applicant's invention has very different form from that ofMiller's invention. As a result, Miller's invention does not appearcapable of performing all of the functions that Applicant's invention iscapable. Unlike Miller's invention, Applicant's invention uses a foamcylinder as the actual head cover and has structural features, such as afold-in shaft protector and a contoured foam cylinder. These novelimprovements allow the Applicant's invention, when being used as abeverage cooler, to be received by standard drink holding apparatusesfound in most vehicles, including golf carts. Additionally, Applicant'sfoam headcover provides an increased level of protection for the head ofa golf club as compared to the level of protection provided by Miller'sfabric headcover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present general inventive concept to provide adual-purpose device that can be used both as a golf club headcover andalso an insulated beverage cooler. The invention protects a golf club'shead and shaft as a regular cover utilizing a thicker protective headcover and an attached sleeve made from thinner material which protectsthe shafts of the clubs. By simply folding the thinner shaft coverinside the thicker head cover, the device becomes a beverage cooler forboth bottles and cans. The protective headcover can be designed andsized to fit into standard golf cart cup holders. The foam rubberinsulation provides both the necessary protection for golf clubs and theability to regulate beverage temperature.

The present invention may include a hollow foam cylinder, or othersuitable shape that may have the proper dimensions to either receive aclub head of a single golf club or a beverage container, having a closedend and an open end. The circumference of the open end of the hollowfoam cylinder can be large enough to receive either the head of a golfclub or a standard beverage container. The hollow foam cylinder can alsohave an attached cylindrical fabric shaft protector for protecting agolf club's shaft from dents and scratches. The cylindrical fabric shaftprotector can be folded into the open end of the hollow foam cylinder sothat a beverage container can simultaneously be received by both of thehollow foam cylinder and the cylindrical fabric shaft protector.

In a further embodiment, the invention is a combined beverage cooler andgolf club cover comprising: an insulative cover configured to protect agolf club head and also being configured to support a beverage and sizedfit into a standard drink holder commonly found on golf carts; and ashaft protector extending from the insulator cover and being configuredto fold into the head cover when used as a drink holder.

In still a further embodiment, the invention is a combined beveragecooler and golf club cover comprising: a cylindrical insulative coverconfigured to protect a golf club head and also being configured tosupport a beverage and sized fit into a standard drink holder commonlyfound on golf carts; and a shaft protector extending from the club headcover and being configured to fold into the head cover when used as abeverage cooler.

Those and other aspects of the present general inventive concept willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of thefollowing detailed description of the general inventive concept togetherwith the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as thestructure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention,will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view of the structure of the presentinvention, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving a golfclub, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving abeverage container, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving abeverage container and being received by a drink holder in a golf cart,according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to likeelements throughout.

The present general inventive concept relates to a dual-purposeinsulated beverage cooler that may also function as a head cover for agolf club.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dual-purpose device that may act asboth an insulative beverage cooler and head cover for a golf club,according to an embodiment.

In an embodiment of the present general inventive concept, adual-purpose device can consist of two pieces. A first piece 100 thatcan be made from an insulative material such as foam polyurethane oranother suitable material known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thefirst piece 100 can be roughly cylindrical in shape, with a hollowcenter, having a first closed end 101 and a first open end 103. Thefirst closed end 101 can be tapered to allow the device to be placed incup holders (not pictured) having a circumference less than that of themaximum circumference of first piece 100. The hollow center (notpictured) of the first piece 100 can have a sufficient volume to receiveeither a beverage container (not pictured) or the head of a golf club(not pictured).

Said first piece 100 can be attached to a second piece 102. The secondpiece 102 can be made from a knitted fabric or other suitable material.The second piece 102 can be tubular in shape, having both an opening ata first end 105 and an opening at a second end 107 and a hollow centerthroughout. The second piece 102 can be capable of folding into thehollow center (not pictured) of the first piece 100 when the device isbeing used as a beverage cooler.

The first piece 100 and second piece 102 can be attached to one anotherso that there exists a continuous hollow opening (not pictured) thatincludes the hollow center (not pictured) of the first piece 100 and thehollow center (not pictured) of the tubular second piece 102. Access tosaid continuous hollow opening can be made through the opening at thesecond end 107 of the second piece 102.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the structure of the present invention,including a cutaway perspective view of the first piece 200, accordingto an embodiment.

The hollow center 202 of the first piece 200 can be of sufficient volumeto receive either a beverage container (not pictured) or the head of agolf club (not pictured).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving a golfclub, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 depicts the present invention, in its capacity as a head cover,protecting a standard golf club 303. The present invention is placedover the golf club 303 through the opening (not pictured) at the secondend 307 of the second piece 302, and is slid down over the club untilthe top of the golf club 303 reaches the inside of the first closed end301 of the first piece 300. The insulative material from which the firstpiece 300 can be constructed, whether that be polyurethane or some othersuitable material, acts to protect the head of the golf club 303. Thesecond piece 302 extends downward over a shaft 305 of the golf club 303to protect said shaft 305 from damage caused by contact between saidshaft 305 and other clubs (not pictured), particularly irons.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving abeverage container, according to an embodiment.

When being used as a beverage cooler, the second piece 402 of thepresent invention can be folded inside of the first piece 400 resultingin a cylindrical opening (not pictured). The cylindrical opening can beof sufficient size to contain a beverage container 401, so that the topof the beverage container 401 protrudes from the cylindrical opening.The beverage container 401 can be a bottle, can, or other suitablecontainer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention receiving abeverage container and being received by a drink holder in a golf cart,according to an embodiment.

When the present invention is being used as a drink cooler, the taperedfirst closed end 503 of the first piece 500 can be received by astandard drink holder 501 found on many golf carts. However, the presentinvention can be just as easily received by drink holders commonly foundin cars and elsewhere.

The present invention has been described with reference to the enclosedpreferred embodiments. It is to be appreciated that the true nature andscope of the invention is to be determined with reference to the claimsappended hereto.

1. A combined beverage cooler and golf club cover comprising: a firstpiece, made of insulating foam or similar material known to one ofordinary skill in the art, having a first end and a second end and ahollow center of sufficient size and shape to receive and cover a headof a golf club or a beverage container; and the first piece being closedat the first end and having an opening at said second end of sufficientsize and shape to receive the head of a golf club or a beveragecontainer into the hollow center of the first piece.
 2. The combinedbeverage cooler and golf club cover described in claim 1, wherein thesecond end of the first piece is attached to a second piece thatfunctions to protect the shaft of a golf club, said second piece furthercomprising: a fabric tube having a first end and a second end being madefrom material suitable for protecting the shafts of golf clubs; thefabric tube having a hollow center of sufficient volume to receiveeither a head of a golf club or a beverage container; the fabric tubehaving openings, at both its first end and second end, each ofsufficient size and shape to receive either the head of a golf club or abeverage container; and the first end of said second piece beingattached to the second end of said first piece so as to create acontinuous cavity created by the hollow center of the first piece andthe hollow center of the second piece.
 3. The combined beverage coolerand golf club cover described in claim 1, wherein the first piece is ofa sufficient size and shape to be capable of receiving a beveragecontainer while simultaneously being received by a vehicle's drinkholder.
 4. The combined beverage cooler and golf club cover described inclaim 2, wherein the first piece is of a sufficient size and shape to becapable of receiving a beverage container while simultaneously beingreceived by a vehicle's drink holder.
 5. The combined beverage coolerand golf club cover described in claim 2, wherein the second piece iscapable of folding inside the hollow center of the first piece, when theinvention functions as a beverage cooler.
 6. A combined beverage coolerand golf club cover comprising: a first piece, made of insulating foamor similar material known to one of ordinary skill in the art, having afirst end and a second end and a hollow center of sufficient volume toreceive and cover a head of a golf club or a beverage container; thefirst piece having an opening at said second end capable of receivingthe head of a golf club or receiving a beverage container into thehollow center; the first end of the first piece being closed and havinga sufficient size and shape to be capable of receiving a beveragecontainer while simultaneously being received by a vehicle's drinkholder; the second end of the first piece is attached to a second piecethat functions to protect the shaft of a golf club, further comprising:a fabric tube having a first end and a second end, and having a hollowcenter of sufficient volume to receive a head of a golf club or,alternatively, a beverage container; the fabric tube having openings, atboth its first end and second end, each of sufficient size to receiveeither the head of a golf club or a beverage container; the first end ofsaid second piece being attached to the second end of said first pieceso as to create a continuous cavity created by the hollow center of thefirst piece and the hollow center of the second piece; the second piecebeing made from material suitable for protecting the shafts of golfclubs; and the second piece being capable of folding inside the hollowcenter of the first piece, when the invention functions as a beveragecooler.